


The Hell We Went Through.

by magnoliafilms



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Curse Breakers, Curses, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Magical school, Miscommunication, Mutual Pining, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-18 14:20:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28744614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magnoliafilms/pseuds/magnoliafilms
Summary: Chan has been dealing with his unrequited feelings in private. (It's his own business. Nobody else's. (Yes, that includes you, Jun.)But when he accidentally curses himself to be practically stuck to the object of his affections... You could say that his emotions get a little harder to handle.
Relationships: Lee Chan | Dino/Xu Ming Hao | The8
Comments: 10
Kudos: 81
Collections: Seventeen Rare Pair Fest: 2 Rare 2 Pair





	The Hell We Went Through.

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [SVTRarePairFest2](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/SVTRarePairFest2) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
> chan is not sure how minghao feels about him, they’ve shared a couple of classes and have mutual friends. but when they’re cursed to hold hands or else suffer the worst pain they’ve ever felt in their lives, they’re forced to confront their feelings for each other (i like him, does he like me? is it just to relieve the curse?). 
> 
> bonus points if they fall into the the habit of holding hands all the time even after they’re cured.

Chan was running late. He’d slept through his alarm and his cursed roommate hadn’t even bothered to wake him up.

“You need the rest, Chan.” He tended to say.

_ No, Jun.  _ He thought bitterly, as he pulled himself quickly out of bed.  _ What I  _ need _ is to get to Defensive Magic on time.  _

“For the love of Merlin” He said aloud to no one in particular, “Professor Choi’s going to fail me for the rest of the year.”

He stumbled around the dorm room, doing an odd jump-shuffle to try and get his pants on, before bursting through the door and making it halfway down the hall, only to realise he’d left his wand on his desk.

His Defensive Magic class was always on one of the topmost floors of the school, and when Chan finally made it, he paused in the hallway for a second to catch his breath, before pushing open the door slowly.

“How kind of you to grace us with your presence, Mr Lee.” Professor Choi sneered. He was a beast of a man, with scaly skin and thin slanted nostrils. 

Chan stammered, “I– I’m sorry, Sir. I overslept.”

The classroom had been rearranged and the tables had been placed so that they created a large circle in the centre of the room. Chan winced, he knew what that meant. 

Professor Choi smiled, a strange and crooked up-turning of the corners of his mouth. “Perhaps you’d like to help us out today then, Mr Lee.”

Chan sucked on his teeth, catching Jun’s eye in the crowd of students that stood on the other side of the table-barrier. Jun sent him an apologetic glance, and Chan sent a furious glare back in his direction.

“You remember proper duel etiquette?” Professor Choi said rather condescendingly, “Or do you need a catch-up lesson.”

Chan shook his head. He’d never been particularly good at duelling, but he at least knew the damn rules. “I’m fine, Professor.”

He stepped into the centre of the room, squeezing between the desks. His wand felt comforting in his jacket pocket and he slipped it out easily. Weighed it between his hands, warmed up his wrists. 

“And for today, I think you’ll be facing…” Professor Choi picked up his class register and skimmed a finger down the side. “Minghao Xu.”

Chan’s grip tightened around his wand and he tried his best not to seem alarmed as the boy joined him in the duel circle. 

Chan had no idea what Minghao was capable of in a situation like this. He had a hand for wordless magic, Chan knew this already put him at a severe disadvantage. Where Minghao’s moves would be more discreet, more surprising, Chan’s hits would be expected.

Minghao had distinctly pointed ears, common with the fairy folk in the east, and if he really put his mind to it, he’d likely be quite good at even the more difficult types of wandless magic. 

Chan’s own magic was less controlled, he’d only really been taught to channel it properly the year before. This was clearly a set-up, and he was destined to make a fool of himself. 

He had awkwardly placed wings that sprouted from the space between his shoulder blades. Self-consciously, he made an effort to tuck them even further behind himself. They were really just making the surface area of Minghao’s target larger.

“Mr Lee…” Professor Choi said slowly, and it was then that Chan realised he had been unintentionally staring. 

He coughed into his sleeve, averting his eyes from where they’d rested on Minghao’s hands as he’d warmed up. 

“Gentlemen, if you’re both ready, you may begin.”

They swept into matching bows, wands at the ready. 

Minghao fixed him with a confident smile, “Don’t worry Chan, I’ll go easy on you.”

Chan gritted his teeth, spreading his feet and giving himself a stable fighting position. 

Minghao slung the first spell. A silent one that practically came from nowhere. Chan jumped to the side, narrowly missing the blinding flash of bright white light. 

He lifted his wand a little higher, holding it closer to his chest. Minghao sent another wordless spell his way. It was a striking neon green and Chan opened his mouth to utter a deflection charm, but before he could even get the words out, he was forced to duck beneath it. 

He’d have to take the defensive in this one. Anytime Minghao so much as shifted his hand, Chan would throw out a warding or deflective spell. They danced around each other, and with Minghao’s constant attacks, Chan wasn’t sure how long he could keep this up.

Then, there was an opening, Minghao paused for a second too long and Chan took the opportunity gratefully. He didn’t even think, just threw out his wand and a handful of energy. A flash of red burst from the point of his wand.  _ He hadn’t even said a spell aloud.  _ He had no idea what it would do. 

“Minghao!” He shouted as the spell closed in on the other boy, who threw up his own wand in response, sending out a spell coloured in flickering yellow.

They met mid-air, twisting into a strange orange colour, pulsing for a moment before flying backwards and striking both students in the chest. 

Chan fell to the ground, his wand dropped from his hand and he was overwhelmingly aware that the same thing had happened to Minghao.

Something was seriously wrong. He felt as though he were on fire. His skin burned and blistered, his lips cracked, and it felt as though a thousand knives were being dragged down the length of his back. His wings popped out reflexively and crashed into the table nearest to him. 

His fellow students were screaming, Professor Choi shouting to get everyone to calm down. And yet Chan couldn’t hear anything. Something told him to push forwards, and so he did. Lifting himself on straining muscles, putting an arm out in front of him.

The pain was so severe that he couldn’t see anything. His surroundings had all blurred together into a landscape of thick white clouds. Something pressed at his arm and immediately he began to feel better. He clung to it tightly, barely registering that it was a hand. A hand connected to an arm, connected to a person.

The relief from the pain was all he could think about, and so desperately, he pulled the person a little closer and used his remaining strength to draw his wings around the being in his arms. Everything faded into a mildly uncomfortable warmth, and then, there was nothing.

**—**

Chan awoke to something warm and heavy cradled between his arms and starch sheets pressed against his wings. He startled and glanced around himself before recognising his surroundings. Everything came back to him at once. The blinding white pain, the sensation of being struck by that orange light. 

Reaching out for a hand, one that seemed to force back the pain. 

His joints felt stiff, but his skin didn’t scream in agony. The infirmary walls contained no idea as to how long he’d been asleep, and the only clock he knew of was currently strategically placed behind him, out of sight without dislodging himself and turning over. He had been avoiding looking down at the figure cradled in his arms, but it was practically impossible now.

Minghao had shifted in his sleep, rolling slightly onto his side so that Chan had an uninterrupted view of the side of his face. He hummed quietly, a comforting sound in such an odd situation.

He’d known Minghao since he first started attending Moon’s School of Magic. The boy was close with Chan’s own roommate, and so they tended to see each other often. They sat at the same table for most meals, went out for group outings that Jun tended to organise spontaneously. They’d shared a few classes; Defensive Magic, Potions and Poisons, Myths and Legends. 

Chan had always thought he was pretty, of course. Everyone did. But he’d been battling his own emotions for years now. At times, he’d crack jokes that no one else would find funny, but Minghao would always smile his way, even if he didn’t laugh at them properly. 

Sometimes, they studied together. Minghao was easy to talk to, and on more than one occasion, Chan had found himself oversharing in the early hours of the morning when the school library was definitely supposed to be closed. 

And even as familiar as they were with each other, Chan still felt like Minghao shut him out. It wasn’t personal, just something he seemed to do with everyone he surrounded himself with. Even Jun seemed a little lost at times. 

It was strange, seeing Minghao so vulnerable. Chan felt a little like a creep, watching the other boy sleep like that, but he was too tired to care. 

Chan felt an odd wave of exhaustion wash over him. He stifled a yawn, pulling away so he didn’t disturb Minghao. He lifted a hand to his mouth and even that was tiring. His hand ached like he’d been hanging upside down for hours and all the blood had drained out of it.

He winced at the numbing feeling, but felt the way his eyes began to blink closed.

And so, with little energy to do much else, he tucked his face into the crook of Minghao’s neck and fell back asleep. 

**—**

The second time Chan woke up, it was because Minghao was shifting in his arms. He groaned loudly refusing to open his eyes. He flexed his wings, and the motion nearly made him pass out. The sensation of fiery pain had returned in full force. 

Quickly, in a motion of blind panic and a desire to rid himself of the agony, he threw his wings forwards. Surrounding both himself and Minghao in a strange sort of leathery cocoon. 

Minghao didn’t hesitate, nor did he say a word or open his eyes as he lifted a hand to run his fingers down the length of Chan’s wings. The relief that came was immediate, and Chan groaned a sigh of relief as the pain subsided. 

“Interesting.” Said a voice, and both Chan and Minghao startled. Neither had realised they had an audience. 

Chan was reluctant to shift his wings, but tried to do so slowly as to not trigger whatever spell had caused such a violent reaction. 

Professor Choi and Headmaster Moon stood at the foot of the bed. 

“Ah, Mr Lee! Mr Xu! Pleased to see you’re awake.” Headmaster Moon said kindly, “Nurse Yoo should be back soon with some pain medication. How are you both feeling?”

“Oh,” Chan said, “Um, fine?”

Minghao snorted, “Chan, we are definitely  _ not _ fine.”

They tried to pull apart from each other, which was a mission in itself. Their legs were tangled underneath the starched bed sheets, and any sudden movements sent them both into dizzy spells. 

Finally, they lay side by side, Chan had tucked one of his wings beneath Minghao’s back, just to provide some extra contact, and they had linked their hands together between them. 

It was here that Professor Choi stepped in. As usual, he seemed disappointed and stared down at them with a distasteful look. “I’m honestly lost as to what you’ve cast on yourselves. I’ve tried every counterspell I know, and  _ nothing _ has worked.”

Chan gritted his teeth. And from beside him Minghao spoke up, “So you don’t know what’s wrong with us?”

Professor Choi and Headmaster Moon shook their heads gravely. 

“We’ve called for a curse specialist, but she won’t arrive for a few days.” Headmaster Moon said, “We only hope that your condition doesn’t worsen.”

Minghao’s hand tightened its hold on Chan for a millisecond, and then it was gone. 

“If you were both comfortable, we’d like to examine just how badly the curse is inhibiting the pair of you.” Headmaster Moon said as Nurse Yoo returned. 

She held a tray laden with vials and tablets. 

“What would that entail?” Minghao asked suspiciously as he eyed the tray Nurse Yoo set down on the bedside table. 

Headmaster Moon looked a little sympathetic as he spoke. “We’d like to test how far apart you two can be without–”

“No.” Chan said sharply, cutting him off, then again, “No.”

The Headmaster fixed him with a deep frown, “Mr Lee… You know I would not ask if it were not necessary. I believe we need to test this in order to see the full effects of the curse.”

Minghao’s hand held Chan’s tightly, but this was the only place his fear seemed to be displayed. His face remained neutral ever as he slowly crushed Chan’s fingers in his vice-like grip.

“Fine.” Minghao said and Chan shuddered.

Headmaster Moon smiled at him pleasantly, “Thank you, Mr Xu. Now if you’d both like to stand up please.”

Chan felt dizzy just at the thought. But together, he and Minghao shuffled to the edge of the bed, trying to keep as close to each other as possible. Chan could feel a headache coming on and tucked one of his wings around Minghao’s shoulders.

Minghao seemed to lean into it, as though the relief the contact gave Chan was reciprocated on his end. 

Nurse Yoo cleared her throat, and they turned quickly to find Professor Choi and Headmaster Moon watching them curiously. 

“Interesting,” Professor Choi said again, before Headmaster Moon took over.

“Now Gentlemen, if you could just take a step apart.”

Chan sent Minghao an encouraging look, while Minghao squeezed his hand tightly. They stepped apart, linked now only by their hands and the edge of Chan’s wing. Chan’s headache swelled, and he breathed into it, resisting the urge to close the distance between them once more.

Professor Choi had pulled out a notepad and quill and was diligently taking notes with each and everyone of their movements. 

“And another? If it’s not too much to ask.”

Another glance, another squeeze of their linked hands, another step. Chan’s wing slipped from where it had rested on Minghao’s shoulder. He mourned the loss of contact, but focused his attention instead on their linked hands.

“One more.” The Headmaster said, watching them carefully. Nurse Yoo was measuring out doses of the fluids in her vials. 

They took another step apart, their hands stretched to keep them connected and Chan gritted his teeth against the growing pain in his head. Minghao’s face remained neutral, though there was a slight spasm in the muscle of his cheek as though he too were gritting his teeth.

“That’s wonderful Gentlemen, though it would be much appreciated if you could reduce the contact. Would it be alright if you let go of each other?”

Now Minghao’s face shifted, something akin to fear shone in his eyes as they glanced at each other. But he nodded his head all the same.

“Yes.” Chan spat out heavily. 

Minghao squeezed his hand one last time before letting go. 

The wildfire swept in, blazing an agonising trail up Chan’s spine, it spread to his hands, up his neck. The headache dropped through his body and he could feel himself burning. 

His legs trembled, wavered for a second, until finally, they gave way. He dropped like a stone and Minghao soon followed suit. One of his wings flung itself outwards, almost instinctively, and Minghao clung to the tip of it. Chan used what little strength he had left to pull him in, to once more encase them in his winged cocoon. 

“Fuck,” Minghao whispered hoarsely, with a bitter laugh. It was only moments later that they fell unconscious in each other's arms once more. 

**—**

The third time Chan woke up, he hoped it was the last he’d have to endure in the damn infirmary. The drab walls were becoming uncomfortably boring, and the lack of any interesting decor was beginning to get on his nerves. 

Minghao shifted and then blinked his eyes open slowly. 

“Good morning,” he said quietly. They didn’t have an audience today, and Chan sighed a breath of relief when he glanced around and found the infirmary empty save for them.

There was a beat of comfortable silence, until Chan broke it.

“I’m really sorry,” he whispered.

Minghao frowned, squeezing the hand he held, “What for?”

“I don’t know,” Chan said sadly, and then with a shrug, added, “If I was better at spells, maybe we wouldn’t be here.”

Minghao shrugged, and with a gentle laugh said, “Perhaps… But we’re here now, suppose we’ve got to make the best of a bad situation.”

“I suppose…” Chan said slowly, “What was it that you tried to hit me with?”

“Binding Spell.” Minghao said easily and Chan nodded.

“Yeah, I suppose that’d do it.” He lifted their linked hands with a bitter laugh. 

“What about you?” Minghao asked quickly. 

Chan sighed, “I don’t even know, that’s the worst part. I’m god-awful at wordless magic, I just swung my wand and hoped your spell wouldn’t hit me.”

Minghao laughed, it was a full and hearty sound and perhaps the most  _ real _ sounding laugh Chan had ever heard come from the boy. 

“Fantastic.” He said with a genuine smile. “I knew you were  _ bad _ , but I didn’t think you were  _ that  _ bad. I really hope whoever this  _ specialist _ is can work out what’s wrong with us, because I don’t think we have a chance.”

“I hope so too,” Chan said softly.

The door to Nurse Yoo’s office swung open slowly and out came Headmaster Moon, Nurse Yoo, and a young woman dressed in lavender robes.

“Gentlemen!” Headmaster Moon said pleasantly, “Lovely to see you both awake. Allow me to introduce Ms Hirai, one of the senior curse breakers on the board.”

Ms Hirai raised her hand in a wave and lifted the scarlet coloured case she had come in with. “Where should I put my things?” 

Nurse Yoo pointed to one of the empty cots that lined the wall, “Any of those should be fine, dear.”

It was then that Chan realised that the bed they lay on was actually two of the infirmary cots that had been pressed together to accommodate both their condition  _ and  _ Chan’s wings.

“Since we aren’t sure what’s causing this effect on the pair of you, Ms Hirai has agreed to run some counter spells and try to work out what combination of things led to this.” Headmaster Moon began to explain, as Ms Hirai unlocked her case and began to pull out various items from inside, “This isn’t the sort of curse we can break overnight, so we’ve rearranged both of your schedules so that you’ll only be attending classes you share. You’ll have to speak to your peers and friends regarding work you’re missing in class and your teachers will have all of your homework delivered to you.”

He took a breath, “As for your sleeping arrangements, you’re welcome to stay here in the infirmary, but if you would be more comfortable sleeping in one of your dorm rooms, we’ve spoken to both of your roommates about your predicament and both are happy to swap should you choose to do so. We can have your belongings moved if you decide to do so.”

Chan knew that Jun would willingly room with Soonyoung on any given day, but it was nice that they were being given the opportunity of choice. 

The Headmaster continued, “We’ve also contacted your parents. Mr Xu, your parents hope for your swift recovery.” The Headmaster made a face that usually accompanied any mention of Chan’s parents, “However, yours, Mr Lee, have not yet responded to our letters.”

Chan shrugged, he envisioned the letter he would receive if they ever bothered to respond. His mother would remind him that it was “pathetic” that he couldn’t even cast a measly wordless spell, and his father would somehow manage to “grunt” on paper. 

“Aha!” Ms Hirai said suddenly, pulling out a glass sphere from within her case. Looking at the array of items that were spread around the case on the cot, Chan couldn’t quite believe it had all fit inside. Perhaps it had been charmed by one of those flashy new infinite storage spells.

She walked towards them cradling the glass ball in her palms. It was just about the size of a tennis ball and she stood before the pair of them for a moment. 

“Is there any chance you could both hold this at the same time? It’s going to determine the nature of the curse and it’ll be most effective if you’re both holding it.”

Chan shifted, tucking his wing behind Minghao easily. It felt almost routine now, finding other ways to touch each other when their hands were occupied. They let go of each other slowly, and, once more, Minghao leant into the side of Chan’s wing. 

Chan held out his left hand, and Ms Hirai dropped the ball into it, Minghao quickly placed his own hand on top. Their thumbs brushed and Chan hid the tiny smile that blossomed on his face. 

The ball warmed between their hands, and in the cracks between their fingers, Chan could see the transparent surface of the sphere rippling and swirling. It hissed. A strange inhuman sort of noise that made Chan’s face drop into a frown. 

Then it fell silent, and Ms Hirai held out a hand, ready to catch the ball.

The surface of the sphere was a strange blood-red colour when it dropped into her open palm, and both Chan and Minghao stared at it curiously. 

Ms Hirai said nothing, simply moved back to where her case and it’s contents lay strewn across the cot next to them.

“Ms Hirai?” Chan said slowly. Her silence seemed sinister and Chan didn’t like how quiet it had gone in the room.

“Yes, Mr Lee?” Headmaster Moon asked, though it wasn’t his place.

Ms Hirai glanced up, turned her attention on Chan properly. She lifted the sphere between a set of metal forceps and held it to eye height. She peered through it, focusing on the pair of them. She stared through the semi transparent cloud for a moment, then pulled it away from her eye.

“That’s an odd one if I ever saw it,” Ms Hirai said, taking a white cloth from her pile of belongings and wrapping up the sphere in it. 

“Ms Hirai,” Headmaster Moon said. It was evident that he was feeling very out of control of the entire situation, Chan could see it in the way the vein across his temple bulged. “What did you see?”

Ms Hirai sniffed, she wasn’t very impressed with the Headmaster, “It’s more complex than you both thought. I’d expected it to be worse, to actually be inflicting pain on them.” She shook her head and looked at the pair of them strangely. “It’s mental, that pain that you feel. It’s all in your head. But something in the curse is convincing it so strongly otherwise. I’ve just got to figure out what… “

Chan frowned. The thought that it was all in his head was only mildly comforting, and it was evident that Minghao felt the same. 

“I can try some counterspells for binding curses,” Ms Hirai said slowly, her eyes were empathetic when she turned towards the two boys, “But until we work out exactly what it is, I can’t guarantee anything will work.”

“Alright.” Minghao said evenly, looking far more certain than Chan.

“I’m sorry boys,” Ms Hirai said, pulling her wand out of her case, “I wish I could do more for you.”

  
  


**—**

The walk back to Minghao’s dorm from the infirmary was…  _ Difficult _ . To say the least. Chan’s skin buzzed from the sheer quantity of spells Ms Hirai had cast on them. Cast after cast, and none of them had worked. 

As they moved through the halls, they were forced to hold each other tightly and walk side by side despite narrow corridors and bustling students racing to make it to their next class. Chan’s wing tucked around Minghao’s outer shoulder became a much needed shield against the moving crowd.

There wasn’t a shortage of odd looks sent their way. 

They were allowed a day free from classes, some time to re-adjust to the circumstances. To work around the curse and to determine how they could overcome the restrictions it placed on them. 

Like Headmaster Moon had said, Chan’s belongings had been tidied into his trunk and shifted into Minghao’s room before they arrived, and the twin beds that used to line the edges of the dorm had been transformed into a double that seemed large enough to accommodate both of them and Chan’s wings. 

They shifted around the room together, trying to reorganise everything so that it could better suit both of them. Pushing the desks together and shifting the seats so that they sat next to each other. Stacking and folding clothes for easier access. 

Chan’s extra appendages became much needed, and provided a little extra wriggle room. But there was only so much his wings could do. Skin on skin was the best relief from the gradually building pressure. 

By lunchtime, they were both exhausted, and collapsed onto the bed together. Minghao lay on his back and Chan sat with his legs draped over Minghao’s lap, their hands sat entwined between them.

“You alright?” Minghao asked after a quiet moment. 

Chan sucked in a breath, considered the fading headache he’d developed. “I just need… A little longer.” Then after a beat, he mumbled, “Sorry.”

Minghao shook his head, seeming a little relieved, “You’re fine, I need it too.”

He squeezed Chan’s hand gently. It was becoming a better method of communicating then actually speaking. 

“Are you hungry?” Chan said again after a while. He was only mildly dreading the answer, because it meant venturing into the dining hall. His stomach growled noisily. 

Minghao turned his head slightly, and Chan saw his own hesitation reflected in Minghao’s expression. “I ‘spose I could eat. If you’re hungry, we should go.”

Chan nodded, sliding as close to the end of the bed as their linked hands would allow. When Minghao joined him, he slid his hand up Chan’s arm to rest on his shoulder. He pressed his fingers down firmly, but not enough to hurt. “We’ll take it as it comes, ok?”

“Yeah… Yeah.” Chan said uncertainly, he hooked his wing around Minghao’s shoulders as they stood up. They slid their shoes on by the door, and took a breath before pushing out into the hallway. It was dinner time now, and most of the students would be inside the dining hall. 

The hallways were lined with candles. An interesting decision on behalf of the school considering the amount of pyrokinetically inclined students, but it made for a mysterious atmosphere. They made it to the hall without much trouble, but it was finding seating that was the most difficult. 

Jun noticed them when they came in and waved them over. Chan decided not to zero in on how close he was sitting to Soonyoung and instead focused on keeping his hand locked in Minghao’s. 

They slid into two empty seats at the table, and took a moment to collect themselves. 

“So it’s true,” Soonyoung said quickly, pointed cat ears swivelling as he leaned forwards to stare at their joined hands. 

“No, Soonyoung,” Minghao said sarcastically, “We just like to cause each other pain for  _ fun. _ ”

Chan snorted and Soonyoung rolled his eyes dramatically, lashing his tail behind him. “Don’t get smart with me, I moved out of the dorm for you.”

Jun pushed in, interrupting their little spat, “So like, it hurts you both when you’re apart?”

“Like an absolute  _ bitch. _ ” Minghao said easily, squeezing Chan’s hand. A gentle reminder that they were fine. 

Jun looked to Chan as though he needed confirmation. “I don’t know what you want me to tell you Jun, we’ve both passed out a few times because of it.”

“Weird…” Jun said incredulously, eyes going wide as he drifted off into whatever realm his brain travelled to whenever he thought about something seriously. 

“How long is it supposed to last?” Soonyoung asked curiously.

They looked at each other, sharing that same uncertain glance. 

“We don’t know.” Minghao said eventually, focusing on a patch of the table that was peeling upwards. “They can’t start counter-spelling it until they know what it is, and at the moment…” He sucked in a weighted breath, “They have no clue.”

Soonyoung’s face fell, “Oh.” He said quietly, closing his mouth rather awkwardly. 

Chan’s stomach growled again, and he realised that he hadn’t actually eaten since breakfast in the infirmary that morning. Meaning that, neither had Minghao.

He took charge, ignoring the strange awkward silence that had fallen over the table and focusing instead on plucking two plates from the stack in the middle of the table. He made sure to draw one of his wings up and around Minghao so there was still one point of contact when they had to let go and use their hands. 

He served himself a scoop of potatoes from one of the trays on the table, and offered some to Minghao, who accepted easily. Minghao did the same with a slice of pie from a plate down by Jun. It was like a little dance that they were slowly perfecting. Nothing was ever quite one hundred percent right, but they were finding it easier to move around each other. 

Soonyoung watched the whole thing silently. Eyes narrowed and catlike as he observed them both. But he said nothing, only considered the way they used to seem like such strangers to each other. Soonyoung wondered what it would be like. Being tied to someone you aren’t familiar with, having to rely on them to keep you safe. 

He wasn’t sure he could do it. 

**—**

They were permitted only a single day of relief before they were expected back in classes. The teaching staff were all informed, and it was imperative that they were allowed to sit next to each other.

In between classes and during breaks, Chan and Minghao made the long journey back to the infirmary, to sit next to each other on starched white sheets with hands clasped while Ms Hirai cast various spells and charms on them.

Often they’d leave hand in hand, both of their heads spinning from waves of nausea. But the constant seasickness was deemed worth it if it meant they could find the cure. 

Ms Hirai seemed convinced that the curse wouldn’t kill them, but the horrendous pain they were both subjected to whenever they separated from each other seemed to say otherwise.

One morning, nearly half a week into the whole curse business, they’d woken up on opposite sides of the bed. The edge of Chan’s wing and their linked ankles under the covers the only thing keeping them together. Chan had endured a violent migraine for the rest of the day, despite their efforts to stay as close to each other as possible. And from the tense yet stoic expression on Minghao’s face, Chan could tell that he was strugg;ling too. 

It was the third day of life with the curse, and it certainly wasn’t getting any easier. Chan woke up earlier now, even before Minghao did. It was something he couldn’t associate with either the curse or the fault of sharing a bed with someone. 

He used the time away to pull Minghao in close, to press his face into the space between the fairy’s shoulder blades and to absorb what contact he could. 

After a few minutes, Minghao turned over in his arms. Eyes bleary and sleep-soft. 

“Morning,” Chan said quietly, pulling away carefully. But Minghao groaned and grabbed for one of his arms.

“I have a headache,” He mumbled quietly, and Chan didn’t hesitate to lift a hand to card through Minghao’s hair. 

Minghao closed his eyes, humming sleeping and pressing upwards into the sensation. 

“Any better?” Chan asked, still relatively exhausted himself. 

Minghao nodded, reaching his own hand out to press against Chan’s chest. Chan eyed the clock hanging above their shared beds. If they didn’t get up within the next few minutes, they were going to miss breakfast and consequently be late for their first class of the day.

He said as much aloud, letting Minghao be the one to make the decision. And Minghao genuinely considered it, brought his bottom lip up between his too-sharp teeth. 

“We can miss a day.” He finally said, dropping his head back to land on the pillow, “Or the morning at least. They’ll be more lenient.”

Then his eyes were fluttering shut and Chan was staring over at him. 

Perhaps it was dangerous like this. Waking up next to a boy you may or may not be in love with.

Chan worried sometimes that he was taking advantage of a terrible situation. That he was overplaying his reaction to the curse. But whenever he pulled away, whenever he tried to give Minghao space between them, he’d close it in a heartbeat. 

Reaching out with slender hands, pressing them up against exposed skin, darting them under the hems of Chan’s t-shirts to splay cool fingers on warm skin. Chan wouldn’t deny that he liked it, the attention. And no matter how fleeting he hoped this was, he was determined to remain a gentleman. 

**—**

Waking up for the  _ second _ time was significantly less pleasant. Somehow they'd shifted during their extended sleep in, and Minghao's bony elbow was pressed sharply into Chan's ribs. What didn't help was the way he was repeatedly poking it into Chan's flesh.

Chan groaned, and when the vibration bounced back to meet him, he realised that he was lying directly on top on Minghao.

He scrambled to get off of the other boy, still keeping an arm out to keep the contact between them. " _ Shit, _ " He mumbled under his breath, "Sorry for squashing you."

Minghao shrugged, "It's fine. It was actually kind of nice for the first couple of minutes. But that might have been the oxygen getting cut off from my brain."

Chan resisted the urge to smack him across the face with a pillow, "Shut up." He said instead, though there wasn't any weight behind his words.

After a moment Minghao sat up a little, gently tugging on their joint hands. He glanced at the digital clock on the desk. He laughed, and it seemed a little forced. “We’re so fucking late.”

Chan lifted his own head, glancing at the glowing digits. They’d somehow managed to sleep through the first three classes, and most of lunch. “Oh shit.”

“How’re we gonna explain this one?” Minghao said, and Chan could see the edges of his apathetic mask beginning to crack.

Chan shrugged, “We could always say we got caught up with Ms Hirai. What’re they gonna do? Accuse us of lying?”

Minghao hummed quietly, and looked at the door as though he wanted to try to run to make it in time for Gen Potions on time.

Chan put out a comforting hand, resting it lightly on Minghao's shoulder. It felt strangely intimate, but Minghao leant into the touch gratefully. "We can get changed, and head up for the end of class. Professor Chou is lenient enough, she'll let this slide."

Minghao nodded, and inched his way to the end of the bed, giving Chan time to follow behind him.

They were slowly but surely getting the hang of getting changed and maintaining contact while also offering each other some form of privacy. Chan would extend a wing and step as far away as he could manage, while Minghao held tightly to the edge of it. It seemed to work for the most part, and they'd begun to apply it to use of the bathroom as well.

As for showering... That was a bridge they would cross when they got there.

Chan shifted so he was facing the wall, and let his wing extend as Minghao shuffled around in his trunk. There were a few thudding noises, and Chan could only assume that Minghao was hopping around trying to pull his trousers on.

Chan tried his best not to think about Minghao half dressed. Yet with Minghao's warm back pressed up against the leathery skin of his wing, it was a little difficult to do much else.

He felt the way the blood rushed to his face, and touched his hands to his cheeks, trying to quell the redness.

"Chan?" Minghao said after a little more shuffling and thudding. "I'm good, it's your turn."

It was always easier for Chan to get changed. Minghao could sit quietly and hold onto the tip of his wing for most of it, it was only his shirt that he required help with.

Chan's shirts were ordered specially. His wings too big to fit inside anything else. He had a few sleeping t-shirts with the backs roughly cut out, but his daily wear was a little more difficult to get on.

Usually he could manage by himself, and on his bad days, Jun would help him lace up the open backs.

He pushed the panel of dark fabric against his chest, and slid his arms through the sleeves. Minghao stepped forwards, taking the back pieces and threading them together. Chan tried to ignore the way their legs were pressed up against each other and swallowed down the abundance of saliva that had begun collecting in his mouth.

Minghao finished the laces off with a bow, and the strings landed gently against Chan's lower back. Taking Chan's hand, Minghao dragged him over to the desk where their books were kept for classes.

They stood in the doorway, Chan's hand on the door handle. Sharing a breath, Minghao turned to him slightly, squeezing their linked hands. "Ready?"

It was becoming almost routine. To take a moment before stepping outside their shared room to psyche themselves up for the day ahead.

Chan nodded, and slipped his wing around Minghao's shoulders. He unlocked the door, and together they moved out into the hallway.

The walk to the General Potions classroom was relatively uneventful. Chan only tripped over himself once, nearly taking them both tumbling down. But Minghao managed to right them both easily.

Chan pushed open the door and heard Professor Chou stop mid-sentence to address them both. The prolonged stares and hushed whispers between their classmates had become part of the routine, just something else to add stress to an already un-ideal situation.

"Everything alright boys?" Professor Chou asked, and there was a hint of concern in her eyes that almost made Chan feel bad about lying.

"We're fine," Chan said quickly, and when it was obvious that she was waiting for a little more information then that, he quietly added, "Just had a meeting with Ms Hirai. She thinks that she's nearly figured it out."

He tried to force as much enthusiasm into his voice as he could manage. She seemed satisfied with the explanation, and tipped her head to direct them to their conjoint desks at the back of the room.

Jun eyed them both suspiciously from where he sat, and Chan could see that Soonyoung was craning his head to try to meet his eyes.

"Your meeting with the curse breaker lasted four hours?" Jun asked skeptically, and there was a slight smile toying at the edges of his mouth.

Chan opened and closed his mouth quickly, brain churning to try and come up with some excuse, "I— No, we— Uh."

Jun just laughed quietly as Professor Chou clapped her hands to get them to pay attention. She was teaching them the proper way to dice bryony root.

And just when Chan thought the matter had been dropped, he heard Jun mutter very quietly under his breath. That same self satisfied smirk still plastered to his face.

"That's what I thought."

**—**

It was late the next evening and Chan was still up studying. Pouring over countless textbooks and trying his best to manage something even remotely substantial. It was a project for their mythical creatures class. Minghao had —as expected— already finished his. But Chan was a master procrastinator, and had managed to leave it until the absolute last second. 

Minghao was being polite enough about it, offering to stay up with him while he worked through the questions. He’d taken up a post at the head of the bed and pulled out a small paperback novel. Chan had spread his work around him at the foot of the bed, and Minghao’s feet were tucked under his crossed legs providing just the right amount of contact to keep the incessant headaches at bay.. 

It was quiet, this strange companionable silence that they’d become accustomed to over time. Sometimes, Minghao would hum under his breath, or whisper lines from his book. Chan embraced each of them, closing his eyes and allowing the soft sounds to soothe his tired brain. 

After a few hours, Chan glanced up to see Minghao staring at him intently. 

“You haven’t written a word in five minutes.” He said bluntly, and Chan could see that the tiredness was starting to get to him. He glanced at the time on the digital clock. 01:35.  _ Where had all the time gone? _

He stared down at his papers, he still had at least three more questions to answer, and if he didn’t get them finished now, he’d never have the damn thing finished in time for class the next day. 

When he looked back up at Minghao, the boy was staring out the room's only window at the darkness outside. "Could you fly with a passenger?"

He said it so suddenly and so quietly that Chan wasn't one-hundred percent certain he'd heard him correctly. "With a passenger?"

Minghao nodded, flicking his attention from the window down to his book. He seemed utterly concentrated on folding on the corner of the page he was on. And Chan thought he might have been imagining the steadily blooming blush that was growing on Minghao's cheeks.

"I suppose..." Chan said thoughtfully, "Though it's been a long time since I tried."

He hoped this was going where he thought it was. He liked to get out and fly at night every once in a while, but being tethered to Minghao like this had put an end to his late night excursions. Though if Minghao was thinking what he was thinking, then this would all be a rather swift way to solve that problem.

"Do you think..." Minghao trailed off and stared out the window. He was very pointedly  _ not _ looking in Chan's direction and it took everything in him not to take offense. Minghao tried again, "Would you go flying with me?"

Chan's heart raced in his chest. "Yes." He said, a little breathlessly and far too quickly before his brain could catch up to his mouth. Then he stammered, trying to recover and retain what little dignity he still tried to hold on to. “I mean. Wait… Like tonight? Like now?”

Mingaho looked at him properly. “If you think it’d help with your concentration, I’d be down.”

And while his voice maintained it’s apathetic tone, there was something in his eyes that seemed to say otherwise. Chan looked at his papers. He knew that if he agreed to this, he wouldn’t be finishing them on time after all. 

But still he nodded. What kind of madman would he be if he didn’t agree to  _ this. _

“Alright.” He said quietly, “Do you wanna get your coat? It’s probably gonna be really cold out there.” 

Minghao grinned, and grabbed onto the tip of Chan’s wing excitedly as he moved over to fetch his coat. 

**—**

Getting out onto the window sill was the easy part. 

Getting the both of them up there without falling over the side or letting go of each other, was significantly more difficult.

In one swift motion, Chan tucked an arm around Minghao’s waist and the other he cupped under his knees, lifting up like some kind of bride. Minghao giggled and held onto him a little tighter when Chan wobbled on the edge. 

But the brightness that shone in his eyes when Chan took off was unmistakable, and Chan hoped that he wasn’t secretly dying in fear. 

The moon was full and the silvery midnight light shone of the soft curls of Minghao’s hair. And while Minghao watched the world pass below them, Chan only had eyes for the boy in his arms. 

Perhaps he wouldn’t admit it out loud —not to anyone but himself at least— but he thought that Minghao always looked the most lovely in moments like these. With his hair pushed back by the wind, stars in his eyes. His lips parted in quiet wonder as he turned to look up at Chan.

“It’s beautiful up here,” he whispered, smiling at Chan for but a second before turning back to look at the swiftly moving ground. 

They were out over the Grand Forest now, and a brightly shining lake stared back at them. Night birds called out softly from their nests, and there was the distinct rustling sound of smaller critters scrambling for cover as Chan soared overhead. 

This close —with Minghao pressed firmly against his chest, arms looped tight around his neck and shoulders— Chan didn’t worry about the curse. The seemingly ever present headache was practically gone, fading into a quiet sort of background noise that simply served as a reminder not to get too comfortable. 

A flock of white birds erupted from a small group of trees, and Minghao flinched. The movement so small it was almost imperceptible, but given the proximity of their bodies, Chan felt the way his breath hitched. 

This too meant that if Minghao focused any harder, he would notice the way Chan’s own heart was attempting to beat it’s way out of his chest. 

“Thank you,” Minghao said instead, in a voice barely above a wonderstruck whisper. Chan hummed in lieu of a reply and double checked his hold on Minghao’s waist. 

A few moments later —just as they cleared the Grand Forest and began a gentle descent to a small pasture on the other side— Chan felt Minghao shiver against him. 

“Are you cold?” Chan murmured as Minghao tugged his coat around him a little tighter. 

Minghao hummed, “Should have brought some gloves or something.”

It was likely meant to be comforting, but Chan was only more worried now. He lifted his hands to try to shrug off his own coat —one specially designed for flying. “Do you want me to take you back?”

Minghao shook his head, and when they landed safely, he held tightly to Chan’s arm as he righted himself. The grass seemed dry, if anything a little dewy in the early morning air. Minghao slid his hand easily down Chan’s arm to tuck into Chan’s hand. 

It was a practiced move at this rate —something they’d become used to doing in order to make sure they didn’t accidentally let go of each other. As if by reflex, Chan flicked his wing out easily to tuck around Minghao’s shoulders, and went without complaint when Minghao tugged him down to settle on the grass beside him.

Minghao tilted his head up, looking up at the sky. Chan was tempted to join him, but waited a moment to stare at Minghao. At the gentle curve of his neck as he looked up starry-eyed at all the constellations. 

Much to Jun’s dismay, this was one of Chan’s favourite spots to come whenever he was feeling overwhelmed or stressed. The light saturation from the town surrounding the school never let up enough for him to properly see the stars, and this far out, in the depths of the countryside, he finally felt like he could properly take in all of their constellatory beauty. 

Too often, he would return from an evening fly only to find a very angry roommate awake and chilled to the bones because he’d left the window open on his way out. 

Jun was always easy to satiate though. A tight hug and promise of new gel pens usually quenched his annoyance, and removed any bad feelings he may have been harbouring towards Chan.

Minghao glances down at him, confused as to why he too isn’t looking up in awe. “Alright?” He asked quietly, his breath twirling out in front of him in steamy clouds.

Chan nodded quickly, pulling his eyes away from where they’d focused on Minghao’s throat, casting his eyes upwards too. 

“I like to come out here when everything gets a little too much.” He admits softly, keeping his voice low.

Minghao turned to him, and Chan swore he could see every star glittering in the corners of his eyes. “It’s beautiful. You’re lucky to be able to come whenever you like.”

Chan didn’t think about it when he tugged on their joined hands. “If we stay like this for a while, I’ll bring you out whenever you like.”

Minghao sucked in a quiet breath, and Chan felt like he was toeing an invisible line he wasn’t aware they’d placed between them. They were friends first. And Chan was being far too optimistic, thinking they could ever amount to anything more. 

But it’s easy to pretend when Minghao leans into his side and hums quietly as they look at a shared expanse of sky.

**—**

He wasn’t sure why he did it. But late that night, as they climbed in through the window, skin still chilly and a little damp from the bitter evening wind, they slipped into bed next to each other in almost complete darkness, Chan lay still for a moment. 

Then, he turned on his side, pulling Minghao in with their joined hands. This wasn’t uncommon, it had become an unspoken rule between the two of them that if one of them needed  _ more, _ they needed more. Chan twisted their legs together, waited for Minghao to push him away, to tell him to stop.

Minghao said nothing, only stared back at him with wide eyes and a slightly parted mouth. 

Chan lifted a hand slowly. He pressed it against Minghao’s cheek, slid his fingers into Minghao’s hair.

“Is this ok?” He asked quietly, afraid of the answer. Minghao froze, and Chan worried that he’d ruined whatever chance he’d hoped to have. Worried that he’d crossed some invisible line he’d been afraid to lay hands on. 

“Yes.” Minghao breathed, lifting his own hands to frame Chan’s face. 

There was a quiet moment where they simply watched each other.

And when Chan leaned in slowly, leaving time to pull away, Minghao kissed him back, and perhaps that was the catalyst of it all. After days of dancing around each other, learning to coexist, to move with each other, it had all boiled down to this. 

Not for the first time that evening, Chan couldn’t feel the bond between them. The skull-splitting headache was nowhere in sight, and all Chan could think about was  _ MinghaoMinghaoMinghaoMinghao. _

Minghao’s tongue pressed at the line his lips had created as though asking for permission. And when Chan let his mouth fall open easily with a quiet groan, Minghao licked at the seam of his mouth, pulling Chan in closer. 

Chan threaded his hands through Minghao’s hair. It was getting longer at the back, and Chan had been meaning to compliment him on how nice it looked. 

Minghao pulled off of his mouth with a strange popping sound. His lips were wet with saliva and there was a wild sort of look in his eyes. 

“That was…” Chan stumbled over his words, still taking in the sight of Minghao. Face flushed and hair mussed from the attention of Chan’s hands. “Wow— I’m so… That was—”

Minghao cut him off, “Again?”

Chan savoured that hungry expression Minghao gave him, even if it all meant nothing to the other boy. He nodded, giving himself over completely. 

Minghao pressed him into the mattress with gentle kisses and softer touches. He linked one of their hands together, left into right, fingers fitting perfectly beside each other like it was second nature.

When Minghao dropped his head to mouth at the junction of his jaw, Chan’s lips parted in a silent gasp. He kissed people before. Clumsy things in forbidden spin the bottle games, and messy pecks in the middle of childish truth or dares. But none had been like this. 

Minghao’s thumbs tucked under his ears, rubbing along the skin there. And Chan arched up into each kiss. It felt like a dream, everything coated in a strange haziness that seemed as though it might shatter if he spoke. 

He didn’t dare confess. Feelings in a moment like this never ended well, and his needed to remain buried until he was certain Minghao meant anything by this. 

Minghao tilted Chan’s head to the side, dropping kisses at regular intervals down the column of his neck until he reached the meeting point where his shoulder joined up. He pressed the deepest kiss there, biting down and licking over the skin almost gently. 

Chan did his best to bite back every sound it elicited, choosing instead to let his hands roam over Minghao’s back listlessly. Drawing small circles with his index fingers. 

Minghao hummed against his skin, the sound low and warming. And Chan threaded his hands into Minghao’s hair as he brought him up for one last kiss. 

Eventually, Minghao let up, and dropped to lie beside him. Hand’s still entwined. Chan said nothing, afraid to break whatever spell had surrounded them for the evening. But he squeezed Minghao’s hand tightly, hoping it was enough to let him know how he felt.

He stayed awake, even when Minghao’s breathing evened out. Even when he curled into Chan tighter, hooked his ankles around Chan’s. Chan stared up at the ceiling, and pretended that everything was ok. That Minghao actually loved him back. That he wasn’t some hopeless lovestruck idiot who desperately pined after someone who wouldn’t feel the same. 

He fell asleep to Minghao’s soft breathing. To the image of them together in a field in the middle of nowhere, staring up at a sky of their own making. 

**—**

It was bitterly cold when Chan woke up, and for a moment he wondered if they’d left the window open when they’d come in. But then Chan realised that he was sleeping on the very edge of the bed, face to the wall, wings spread out behind him. 

There were no legs tangled with his own beneath the bed sheets, and nor was there a comforting warmth pressing up against the edges of his wings. 

Minghao was gone. 

And so was the curse. Or whatever godforsaken thing had tied them together. 

He’d waited. Waited until an entire hour had passed on the digital clock. The numbers glared back at him tauntingly. 

Chan had run from the room still dressed in his sleepwear. He’d bolted for his old room and refused to leave after he’d got there. Soonyoung had taken that as his cue to evacuate and to find his own roommate.

Chan hadn’t cried. He simply sat in almost silence while Jun tried to gently pry some answers out of him. When that proved unsuccessful, he’d resorted to more of a “tough-love” type approach. 

Jun had forced him to go back to fetch his things. “ _ I will disown you if you try to wear that ratty shirt to class. _ ”

And so Chan had made the painful walk back. The room was still upsettingly cold when he arrived, and simultaneously empty. It didn’t even look like Soonyoung had returned to check for Minghao. Though Chan supposed he didn’t need to, Minghao would easily tell Soonyoung where he was. 

Chan pulled out a pair of pants and one of his shirts from his trunk. It felt so odd to not have to make sure he was still touching someone at all times. He tugged on his pants, awkwardly hopping from foot to foot. His wings felt strange pressed up against his back and when he extended them silently to tie up his own shirt, he choked back a pained sob. 

Hastily, he wiped at tears he hadn’t realised were forming, and took a seat on the edge of the bed. He let himself cry. Let himself be properly upset for a moment. Then, he sucked in a shaky breath, and let himself out of the room.

He’d crossed a line somewhere. Perhaps he’d read everything completely wrong, and last night was a complete mistake. And when whatever counterspell Ms Hirai had last cast on them finally worked, Minghao had run away from him.

He supposed it was understandable. Their gradual closeness had only been the result of a poorly timed curse, mutual needs met in order to prevent excruciating pain. Minghao had needed more. And for one evening only, Chan had provided it. 

Perhaps he should have noticed the curse fading away. After all, he’d felt it in the field, felt it last night when Minghao had kissed him. 

It didn’t mean it hurt any less.

**—**

“For Christ’s sake. You kissed each other! Just go and talk to him!” Jun shouted one afternoon after Chan had spent most of it sulking. 

“I can’t fucking talk to him if I don’t know where he is,  _ can I?” _ Chan said, and the last bit came out a little harsher than he’d intended. “Sorry.” He mumbled.

Jun shook his head, dismissing the need for an apology. 

“I guess it doesn’t really help that he’s actively avoiding me.”

Jun hummed, “I suppose you’re right. Bugger that he’s taken Soonyoung with him too.”

Chan felt awful. It wasn’t just himself that was being affected by his terrible decision making. But there wasn’t much he could do. In the past day alone, Minghao had arrived at all three of their shared classes at least ten minutes late. And everytime, he’d taken whatever free seat was located the furthest away from Chan.

Jun had always met his upset expression with an incredibly sympathetic look. But that wasn’t what he needed. He at least wanted them all to be friends again. He could handle his hopeless pining, put a stopper in the ever flowing fountain of love he seemed to have for Minghao. 

But he supposed that Minghao didn’t owe him anything. 

It was just a shame that they had to stop speaking for him to see it. 

**—**

Ms Hirai called him into the infirmary. She didn’t comment on the lack of Minghao, nor the evident lack of sleep that Chan had been getting and seemed to wear like a badge of honour beneath his eyes.

She simply asked for Chan to sit on one of the cots so she could do a general check-up on his physical well-being.

“So you broke the curse?” She said instead, pulling out her case and resting it on the cot beside Chan.

Chan hummed, tipping his head in case she needed any further confirmation. Though he figured it might have been evident from the way he wasn’t keeled over in excruciating pain. 

“What was it that did it?” She asked and she seemed genuinely curious.

Chan narrowed his eyes at her as she poked at his arms and lifted the tops of his eyelids. “It must have been one of your counterspells.” He muttered quietly. “I don’t know which one.”

It all seemed a little informal, and it only occurred to Chan that perhaps Madame Yoo should be conducting the physical examinations when Ms Hirai tipped her head back and laughed. 

“One of mine?” She said incredulously, “It couldn’t have been.”

Chan stared at her, he’d jumped away when she’d laughed so violently and had no idea how to approach the situation now. “Why?” He managed cautiously.

Ms Hirai tutted at him like a nagging mother, “Merlin, do they not teach you anything here? A real counterspell can only be created when you know the true nature of what you’re up against. And because your spell was quite literally  _ miscellaneous _ , we had to guess.”

Chan still had no idea what any of that meant, so he just continued to stare at her like she’d gone mad. 

Ms Hirai huffed when she saw his expression, “It means that the chances of anything  _ I  _ cast working are next to nothing. Whatever changed must have been up to you.”

Chan opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish, still a little lost for what to say. 

Ms Hirai raised an eyebrow, “What did you do differently?”

Chan couldn’t fight the blush that crept onto his face. Flashes of Minghao’s face, soft in the moonlight, eyes glittering and warm breath on his neck. “Nothing.” He muttered, perhaps a little too quickly. 

Ms Hirai stared at him, her eyebrow lifting impossibly higher. “Well I suppose if you can’t remember, it’s my duty —as a medical practitioner, and concerned member of the faculty— to investigate.  _ What if something like this were to happen to another student? _ Curses can only be broken by a few things, Chan. Shall I list them?”

She took Chan’s silence as a cue to continue. “Well there's the traditional counter-curse method —but as we’ve already established, that didn’t quite work out. Herbal charms? Though you don’t smell like a witch’s side shop. And they say sacrificing a virgin works…. But, uh. No offense, Chan. You don’t seem like the type to murder someone for fun.”

Chan sat still, fidgeted with his hands in his lap.

Ms Hirai’s face lit up, “Which only leaves one real option. Can you guess what it is?”

Her face had taken on an odd kind of smile, and despite himself, Chan was feeling a little nervous. He shook his head, meeting her strange smile with a confused frown.

“True love’s kiss.” 

It was said without malice, and yet Chan still toppled from his seat all the same. 

“What?” He stammered, “But you don’t— It wouldn’t… Couldn’t have… What?”

Ms Hirai snorted, “Jog your memory?”

“Jog my— Huh?” Chan was still caught up on what she’d said before, “ _ True love?” _ He asked incredulously.

Ms Hirai shrugged, “A regular old kiss doesn’t tend to do a whole lot in the magic department.”

Chan stared at the floor, a hundred thoughts running through his head at once. Some mildly coherent. Others a long string of mind numbing syllables that never seemed to end.

Ms Hirai interrupted his spiralling, “I didn’t mean to pry, Chan. But I really was hoping to work this out so that we could help other students if they managed to get themselves in a similar situation. If you think it  _ was _ a kiss, I’d appreciate it if you let me know. At least that way I can take what information I have and try to construct some kind of easy fix for future use.”

Chan’s mouth felt oddly dry as he finally managed to whisper, “Yeah. Must have been a kiss.”

Ms Hirai beamed at him. “That’s all I needed. You have a nice day now, Chan.”

Chan stumbled out of the infirmary in a weird sort of daze, and drifted to his dorm slowly. 

“What happened to  _ you? _ ” Jun asked with a laugh, clapping him on the shoulder as Chan dropped unceremoniously onto his bed.

Chan looked up at him, and without missing a beat said, “What do you do when you find out someone might be in love with you?”

**—**

**[Jun]** : Meet me in room 408. It’s an emergency.

An emergency with Jun could mean a multitude of things. But regardless of what  _ “an emergency” _ actually meant, Chan had known Jun long enough to know that “ _ an emergency” _ should be treated as such.

Though Chan really should have been a little more suspicious. Jun had been nothing but supportive when he’d told him about what Ms Hirai had said in the infirmary. 

> _ “You just need to go after him, Chan!”  _
> 
> _ “You know as well as I do that I can’t fucking so that, Jun.” _
> 
> _ “Well, someone’s being a little tetchy,  _ aren’t they?”

He found the right hallway, on the same floor as where most of the Potions and Gen Science classes were held. He stared at the tiny number at the top of his phone and then at the numbers on the door frames. 

405...406..407...408.

He stopped in front of the door and pressed a hand against the handle. After double checking the room number he pushed his way inside. Expecting to find Jun, and perhaps a fuckton of flammable liquid, instead he found… Minghao.

Sitting at one of the desks in the middle row, head resting in the palm of his hand. He looked up when the door opened, and the look of pure terror that shot across his face when he realised it was Chan was startling.

“You aren’t Soonyoung.” He said slowly, reaching for his bad in a way that seemed like he was about to make a run for it.

Chan needed to approach this like he would a scared animal. The last thing he needed was for Minghao to run away after dancing around each other for so long. “And you aren’t Jun. It seems we’ve been set up.”

Minghao frowned at him, but loosened his grip on his backpack.

Chan gestured to one of the seats next to Minghao. “Can I sit?”

With a small nod, Chan moved to sit down. There was a beat of uncomfortable silence, and in an attempt to alleviate the tense atmosphere, Chan’s brain decided to make him blurt out the first thing that came to mind. 

“Are you in love with me?” He said quickly at the same time as Minghao said: “I’m sorry for leaving.”

Chan watched as Minghao registered what he’d said. Watched as the colour slowly drained from his face. Left his arched cheekbones pale and almost lifeless. Then, almost as quickly as the colour had disappeared, a strong redness flushed his cheeks, darkening at the tips of his pointed ears. 

“What?” Minghao croaked, trying to deflect the situation. 

Suddenly, Chan felt defensive. And everything that he’d been feeling over the past few weeks finally came pouring out, “It’s only because Ms Hirai said that it had to be a kiss that broke the curse. Like the true love kind. And I’ve been in love with you since we were fifteen and I guess I was just wondering if you felt the same because otherwise I don’t actually know what broke the curse and I  _ totally _ lied to Ms Hirai…. I’m sorry.” 

And then he clamped his mouth tightly shut and stared at Minghao intently as though waiting for him to burst into flames. 

Minghao sucked in a heavy breath and stared back at Chan while a thousand emotions crossed his face. “You— You’re in  _ love _ with me?”

Chan couldn’t find it in himself to be embarrassed. If anything, he was exhausted. He hadn’t been sleeping properly for the past few nights. Perhaps he’d gotten a little too used to a warm hand tucked into his when he fell asleep. 

“Yeah,” He managed wearily, “And I’m sorry if that makes it weird between us because—”

Minghao cut him off by reaching across the space between them and smashing his mouth into Chan’s. It was evidently a terrible idea as they both pulled away groaning, checking for cracked teeth. 

Minghao burst out laughing, “I am so sorry. I intended to be way more coordinated when I tried that.”

Chan was still a little out of breath from his confession. “ _ What? _ ” He said hoarsely.

Minghao only laughed a little harder. “Let’s just say that you didn’t lie to Ms Hirai.”

Chan stared at him, “So you... “

“I’m in love with you… Or I think I am… At least.”

Chan breathed a sigh of relief. He dropped his head into his hands and joined Minghao in laughing. And it was weirdly comforting to share a moment of awkwardness like that. “We made a right mess of this all, didn’t we…”

Minghao hummed in agreement.

“Can I try that again?” Minghao said eventually, extending a hand towards Chan.

Chan nodded and let himself go easily when Minghao cupped his chin in his hands. His mouth was as warm as Chan remembered and it felt so familiar, like they fit together so easily.

There was still that comfort that came with Minghao’s touch, but it almost felt sweeter knowing that it wasn’t to relieve excruciating pain. 

Soft lips that Chan took between his teeth without fear of crossing an invisible line. 

Suddenly, there was a loud crashing sound outside the door and they pulled away to look towards the door. Together, hand in hand, they made their way over and pulled it open slowly. Jun was standing with his mouth parted in a wide smile as he laughed at Soonyoung who was lying sprawled on the ground.

Chan stared at them both with a raised eyebrow.

“I told you to be quiet,” Jun said to Soonyoung in between bursts of laughter.

Soonyoung glared at him, “It was your fault for tripping me up.”

“Were you two listening to all of that?” Minghao asked with a sigh.

At least Soonyoung had the decency to pretend that he was embarrassed about being caught. Jun on the other hand just smirked at the pair of them and said, “We were, don’t worry.” Then, at the matching looks of unamusement they both shot his way, he said, “Oh, you two are going to be insufferable.”

Minghao reached up to smack him over the back of his head. “Shut it, Wen.”

Chan snickered beside him as Jun stuck his tongue out and poked at Minghao’s sides.

They were likely going to be late to lunch, and so they pushed their way through the crowded hallways, holding on to each other as they went. And without thinking, Chan extended his wing to tuck it around Minghao’s shoulders. 

Minghao glanced at him from the side, but leant into the embrace. So familiar, and yet new and exhilarating. Minghao squeezed his hand tightly and with a smile, Chan mimicked the action, ignoring the extravagant vomit noises Jun was making beside them. 

**Author's Note:**

> [twt](https://twitter.com/thekeehorse)  
> • [cc](https://curiouscat.me/ghoulhwa)  
> 


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